Russell L. Leonard

Antifog coating for bronchoscope lens

Abstract Current bronchoscopes suffer from fogging and the adhesion of mucus plugs to the lens. A doped diamond-like carbon film was developed as a possible solution to this problem. A silicon monoxide dopant was found to produce a film that was transparent, hydrophilic and stable in simulated body fluid (SBF) and therefore showed potential as an antifogging coating. The film was deposited by pulsed laser deposition and characterised by Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, spectrophotometry and contact angle measurements. Root mean square surface roughness was found to be <1 nm. The unique characteristics of these films include production without secondary processing, a lowest contact angle of 25° and stability in SBF for several months combined with transparency.

Protective coatings for enhanced performance in biomedical applications

Abstract Biomedical implants such as prosthetic hips and heart stents and instruments used in vivo all have negative performance issues. A common solution, which can also be appropriate for other devices, is to apply a diamond-like carbon thin film in order to enhance the performance of the devices. The films were produced by pulsed laser deposition and characterised by Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, ball on flat tribometry, contact angle measurements and spectrophotometry. The stability of the films was checked by soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF). The root mean square surface roughness was found to be <1 nm, and a coefficient of friction of 0·08 was produced in a lubricated environment. Contact angles ranged from 65 to 88°. The coatings produced on fused silica had high transparency and showed no delamination after 43 weeks of immersion in SBF. These films have potential to enhance the performance of biomedical implants and instruments.

Opportunities for Fluorochlorozirconate and Other Glass-Ceramic Detectors in Medical Imaging Devices

This article gives an overview of fluorochlorozirconate glass-ceramic scintillators and storage phosphor materials: how they are synthesized, what their properties are, and how they can be used in medical imaging. Such materials can enhance imaging in x-ray radiography, especially mammography and dental imaging, computed tomography, and positron emission tomography. Although focusing on fluorochlorozirconate materials, the reader will find the discussion is relevant to other luminescent glass and glass-ceramic systems.